Evening star. [volume], March 03, 1938, Page B-14, Image 34

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Earle’s New Stage Chief
Speaks of Vaudeville
And Not as if It Were Dead,
But Rather of How It May
Be Fully Revitalized.
By JAY CARMODY.
VAUDEVILLE, which has been variously reported as having gone to
Hollywood, been lost on a boat, and died a last death, has done none
of those things. It is alive, vital, and destined to become an equal
part of Earle programs or Harry Anger will know the reason why.
Mr. Anger, new production manager of the main house of Warner Brothers
locally, said as much at a press conference yesterday afternoon. Vaudeville,
he would have you know, is not dead*
at all. It merely has seemed to be.
Mr. Anger thinks it can be resusci
tated, revitalized and brought up to
dat/.
Bringing vaudeville up to date, he
and his bass, Johnny Payette, told
the press, is primarily a matter of
treating stage shows with the respect
they deserve. That is to say (as they
said it) it no longer is possible to
toss a few arts together and call it
vaudeville. The acts mugt be care
fully chosen not merely for their own
merit, but from the standpoint of
conformity with the picture being
shown in any given week. As to the
latter Quality, you can't have a fish
catching seal on the stage when you
have a "Lost Horizon" or a "Life of
Emile Zola" on the screen. Pictures
are the principal attraction and if
you have a "Lost Horizon.’’ you must
have a stage show which fits the type
of audience that will be attracted to
the screen bill.
Mr. Payette and his new production
chief were definite on the subject.
Both of them have a great deal of
respect for the so-called "flash amuse
ment." as a bulwark for the motion
picture in presentation houses. But
they do believe that it takes intel
ligent planning to make the "flash
amusement” conform to the stand
ards of present-day audiences which,
they admit, are very discriminating
audiences. Especially in Washington,
with which the two are concerned.
As a result, stage shows and pic
tures at the EarJe will be treated here
after as a unit. Acts will be chasen
for their conformity to a given screen
attraction. They not only will be
good in themselves, but they will fit
the general demands of the audience
attracted to the house because it has
a certain type of picture. If they
don't. Mr. Anger will have failed. He
does not intend to do so.
* * * *
The Earle’s new production boss
does not expect to create a revolution
overnight in the attitude of vaude
ville performers. He recognizes that
he is trying to sell a new policy to
people who do not buy new policies
without being convinced that the old
one is wrong. As a member of the
profession in the old days, however,
he has a feeling that he knows what
he is about; that by pointing out just
where the new’ deal in vaudeville will
mean its survival, the performers he
hires can be made to see the wnsdom
of the new program.
It was a very nice session, full of
laving cards on tables, which Mr.
Anger had with the press. There was
no effort to deny that stage shows,
supplementing motion picture attrac
tions, have had their weaknesses.
There was no effort, truth to tell, to
deny that even under the new ar
rangement there may be stage shows
with weaknesses. The idea is that
there won’t be so many in the latter
category. Mr. Anger, whose name is
pronounced just as if it were spelled
anger, meaning sharp disagreement,
is going to see to that. He makes
it sound very much happier than
anything you have heard on the sub
ject before.
* * * *
JF YOU have been wondering, for
want of something more personal
to wonder about, why Toby Wing is
making her first stage appearance in
‘■You Never Know,” which comes to
the National March 21, it really is
very simple. J. J. Shubert, the big
musical comedy man. is responsible.
Miss Wing, who is blond and lovely
to look at, had a long and honorable
career in the movies and had no
more than the general desire to make
an appearance on the legitimate stage.
Between pictures, she was making
personal appearances in a night club,
one of the patrons of which hap
pened to be Mr. Shubert. He saw
her, thought of “You Never Know',”
and hired her at once as just the
eye appeal needed to supplement the
appeal of Libby Holman, Lupe Velez
and others in the large cast.
Miss Wing was not hard to hire.
The movies were fun, and profitable,
but she always had had a hankering
to work before an audience which
could applaud—if there was occa
sion for applause. ‘‘You Never Know’,’’
with music by Cole Porter, and with
so many persons around who know
how to make audiences approve, looked
exactly like the occasion for which
Miss Wing had been waiting. She
told Mr, Shubert yes.
Miss Wing, who was born in Phila
delphia, entered motion pictures
through the aegis of Samuel Goldwyn.
He was down on the same beach with
her one day, caught a glimpse of her
through his smoked glasses, pulled a
contract out of his bathing suit pocket,
and signed her to appear in "The
Kid From Spain.” A number of other
pictures followed, w’ith personal ap
pearances between them contributing
to the idea that Miss Wing was a
sight for audiences.
Accordingly, courtesy the Shuberts.
she will have an audience at the
National during the week of March 21.
Where and When
Current Theater Attractions
and Time of Showing.
r ..
National—"I Am My Youth." new
play about William Godwin and Poet
Shelley: 8:30 p.m.
Earle—“The Big Broadcast of 1938,”
W. C. Fields, singing by Martha Raye,
Tito Guizar, Kirsten Flagstad: music
by Shep Fields: 11 a.m., 1:40, 4:25,
7:10 and 9:50 p.m. Stage shows: 1,
3:40. 6:25 and 9:10 p.m.
Capitol—“Arsene Lupin Returns,”
villianv and a love triangle: 11 a.m.,
1:35. 4:30, 7:25 and 10:05 p.m. Stage
shows: 12:35, 3:30, 6:25 and 9 p.m. j
Metropolitan—“Tarzan's Revenge,” '
that superman is at it again: 11 a.m., !
1:05, 3:15, 5:25, 7:35 and 9:45 p.m.
Columbia—‘ The Buccaneer,” Fred
ric March in the story of a pirate
■who helped to save the Nation: 11:25
a.m, 2, 4:30, 7:05 and 9:40 p.m.
Palace—‘ A Yank at Oxford,” Rob
ert Tayior at the English school: 12
noon. 2:25. 4:45, 7:10 and 9:30 p.m.
Keith’s—“Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs,” film history’s greatest
6ensation—that’s all: 11:15 a.m.. 1:01,
2:47, 4:33, 6:19. 8:05 and 9:51 pm.
Trans-Lux—News and shorts. Con
tinuous from 10 a.m. to midnight.
Little—“Peter the First,” Soviet
screen biography of a vigorous czar,
with subtitles in English: 11 am.,
1:07, 3:14, 5:21, 7:28 and 9:36 p.m.
Czechs Push Own Films.
The government of Czechoslovakia
Is backing approved motion pictures
made in that country.
_____ ■
Dollar at ARMORY
rvuiier silver spring, md.
ClratiiiM Every Evening Except
OKuTirig Mon.. 7:00 to 10:00
Rlttlr ADMISSION _ilOc
IViniV SKATES _3r»e
Special rates lo skatina parties over 40
on Tues. and Wed.
Phone Shep. 1506 S. S. 761
THEATERPARKING
6 P.M. TO &
1 A.M.
CAPITAL GARAGE jSft&Ajfc
LOANS
72 years of buying, selling and
lending on diamonds, jewelry, efc.
Liberal Loans at Lowest Possible Rates
CASH FOR OLD GOLD
(Government License)
E. HEIDENHEIMER
Eitabluhed 1866
LOAN OFFICE
eon Kinr St. WA8R. store
Alex., vs. 121B B St. N.W.
i
Miss Durbin
Gets Film
Admirer
Not Interested
Off the Lot,
It Appears.
DEANNA'S got a feller!
Although she has an
nounced her ambition to
grow up a spinster, Deanna
Durbin has acquired a boy friend
on the screen at least. His name is
Jackie Moran, and he furnishes the
first romantic interest in the little
soprano s cinema career in her new
picture. "Mad About Music,” which
soon will be released. Off the set,
it may be stated they are not "that
way” about each other. Jackie likes
football a lot better than girls, even
If they are star singers. Deanna pre
tends that the more she sees of boys
the better she likes her dog, Tippy,
but folks around the lot do not take
much stock in that.
The Durbin girl meets her initial
screen affair of the heart early in
"Mad About Music.” Sheris cast as
the daughter of a Hollywood film
star, played by Gail Patrick. This
miming mother earns her big salary
by acting youthful roles. Therefore
she must keep from her fans the fact
that she is a widow with a 15-year
old child. So Deanna is sent to a
Swiss school, where she meets Her
bert Marshall and adopts him as her
daddy. The Moran “boy goes to school
nearby and adores Miss Durbin silent
ly. When she sings Gounod’s “Ave
Maria" in church he wangles a job
pumping the choir organ to be near
her and tries to "date her up.”
In spite of his private opinion that
the amorous art is a pastime for
softies, beneath the notice of a foot
ball star, "Butch” Moran showed no
self-consciousness as he stammered
sweet nothings to the star. It took
the “still’ photographer to shake his
composure. In posing for these pic
tures Deanna was required to throw
her arms around Master Moran. As
she did so the 24 little girls who play
Miss Durbin’s schoolmates began to
giggl% and titter. This was too much
for the budding gridiron hero. He
blushed a rich vermilion.
Miss Durbin’s film sweetheart is a
discovery of America’s original
"sweetheart,” Mary Pickford, who
saw him act in a Chicago theater
and advised his mother, a noted con
cert singer, to invade Hollywood with
him. They arrived there in 1936,
and Jackie has been busy ever since.
Before entering the cast of "Mad
About Music” he acted in “The Ad
ventures of Tom Sawyer.”
Lucky Contract.
RANDSBURG, Calif. OF).—Part of
Leonard Hoge’s contract for acting
as watchman on the Chamberlain
placer property was that he could
“dry wash” for gold wherever he
wanted. Now he is $700 richer as
the result of finding a single gold
nugget in the canyon sands.
_
DANCING.
Prcf. and Mrs. L. Acher. Private lessons
by appointment. Classes now forming.
1217 O St. N.W, Na. 6016. Bst, 1900, 4*
Baltimore—Pittsburgh—Cincinnati
DON MARTINI
Walts—Fos Trat—Tango—Rhamba
CULTURED. TALENTED TEACHERS.
Private Lessons, Moderate KatesI
Iflll II €T H ill National 37fi7
1911 II 91* IVlW I Dlgtrlet 2838
Don Martini Conducts This Branch
1
Nobody Seems Excited Here
Yet, the show from which the above is a scene does business as “Pins and Needles.’’ It is the
’musical production of the Labor Stage, which has evinced much and favorable comment on
Broadway and which will be presented locally by a road company within the next pair of months.
Department of Labor employes, however, are to view the piece tonight at a speciul performance
at the Mayflower.
Suburbanites See
Comedy Tonight.
T> ROADWAY BOUND," comedy
by Jean Lee Lathan, will be pre
sented tonight and tomorrow night
in the auditorium of Takoma-Silver
Spring Junior High School. The
play is being directed by Mrs. Fern
Schneider, and the cast includes
James E. Einem, Elizabeth Smith,
William B. Marks. Cleo C. Cummings,
John R. SmaJl, Mildred Cochran, Mrs.
Sally P. Vivian. Mrs. Helen Bickmore,
Ralph Donnelly and Margaret Lans
iale.
Curtain is scheduled for 8:15.
Jellied Moonlight
Is Light Trick.
\fOONLIGHT made with gelatin!
That was the novel lighting
?ffect conceived by Homer Pianette,
tlectrical engineer, this week and ln
:roduced in the new Joan Blondell
Melvyn Douglas comedy drama. By
neans of it realistic moonbeams
stream through the windows of a bril
iantlv lighted penthouse in “There's
Always a Woman.”
The scene is that of a glamorous
ipartment supposed to be owned by
Robert Paige and at the moment oc
’upied by the picture's stars, Mary
Astor, Frances Drake. Walter Kings
AMUSEMENTS.
ford and a host of others bent on
unscrambling a murder mystery.
Just off the futuristic living room is
a flower-potted roof garden. Beyond
is the city's sky line. Director Al- ;
exander Hall wanted the apartment
well lighted but also wanted to bring
In the moonlight outside.
Since the regular “sun arcs" would
darken standard yellowish make-up
where it struck the faces of players
_AMUSEMENTS.
ff 'tisr WASHINGTON |
Urar SHOWING^
Spoilt
if THE
IriliST
ONE OF EI ROI'E'S GREATEST
CONCERT ARTISTS-PI, AS ING THE
ELECTRIC HAMMOND ORGAN
GERmnni
TONIGHT 8:20 “'"^r
II 61. 11.10. Sic. Sic
T. ARTHUR SMITH CONCERT BUREAU
Bin G Si. N. IV. NA. STOP
A I A march S. R :30
Ml I/M RIAI.TO THEATER
CARMEN. BOHEME. SAMSON. TRAVIATA,
FAUST. TOSCA. RIGOLFTTO. BUTTERFLY
Ticket! Sic, SI 10. 11 65. T. Arthur Smith.
010 G in Witt-Himill Mu!ifl Co. NA. 3700
and might appear like sunlight in
stead, Electrician Pianette experi
mented with various shades of gela
tin filters. An amber-hued “jelly,”
as electricians term light screens,
finally achieved the desired effect.
AMUSEMENTS.
NATIONAL
SYMPHONY
In Joint Performances With
COL. W. DE BASIL'S
BALLET
RUSSE
De Monte Carlo
R Ballets—7 New to Washington!
Constitution Holl—8:30 P. M.
TUESDAY. MARCH K
The Hundred Kisses d’Frlanger
Symphonie Y antaslique Berlioz
Afternoon of a Faun Dehussy
( intarosiana ( imarosa
WEDNESDAY. MARCH 9
Gods Go A-Begging Handel
Francesca da Rimini Tchaikovsky
Le Spectre dr la Rose Weber
Gypsy Dances Dargomijsky
Tickets: SI to $.*?. Now on sale at box
office. Julius Garfinckrl & Co. Store.
NA. 7.‘llO, C\ C. Cappel. Manager.
A Sonja radiant beyond
imagining... re-united in
romance with her "One
In A Million" sweet
heart ... in a surprise-full
musical of unprecedented
splendor... from hit
maker Darryl F. Zanuckt
teL
it
opPV
iivdW
IVtttV HW.ft 1 T«SM?iK?
t ' - n tilim»,^W 1 "Yonny and HisOompab"
' ft\\IX "You Appeal to
Viltf Itt**'
. . . ”-“U^T«-'1 "•’ Happy laughter, tool.
'- 0,“S K- '■•" gay! joyous!
EXTRA! PETE SMITH’S-M. G. W*.New “AUDIOSCOPIKS” IZp'JyL
FRIDAY ~ 11“ Loew s PALACE
HURRY—LAST DAY: ROBT TAYLOR IN "A YANK AT OXFORD"
—■ - r ■ i ■ ■ - ' . 1111 "i
Travel Talk Set.
JEAN E. BERRY, steamship line
official, will address the American
Association of University 'ft'omen next
Tuesday evening at the clubhouse on
the subject “Old Settings—Modern
Jewels.” Mr. Berry has been engaged
in arranging travel bookings for a
number of years.
Nadja to Gayety.
^JOUNTESS NADJA, probably the
only burlesque revelatory artiste
to inject "production" into her num
bers, will be the feminine headliner
at the Gayety beginning Sunday, with
Evelyn Whitney lending support In
that department. Also to be seen
are Raynor and Briscoe and Harry
Evanson. handling the comedy, and
two acts from the vaudeville stage.
The latter attractions are the Romano
Brothers, musical clowns, and Alexian
na, contortionist dancer.
amusements.
30
ALFRED de LIAGRE.Jiyuww*
’lAMMnpnr
ERNESTPAJ^LLEfD&N SLUM
with
CHARLES LINDA FRANK
WALDRON WATKINS LAWTON
VIOLA ROACHE
Eves., $'*.75, $'i.'JO, $1.63, $1.10, lint
Sat. Mat , $:. *0, $1.63, $IJ0. 55e
Ntxt Wnk—Mats. Wtd. k Sat.
GEORGE ABBOTT PRESENTS A COMEDY Of
ty JOHN MONKS JK. fr FKFD F. FINKlCHOTFf
I Return Engagement by Request
BARGAIN PRICES—SEATS NOW
Eves. A Sat. Slat.—35c, $1.10. $1.63
Wed. Mat.—35c, »5c, $1.10
Constitution Hall, Thurs., March 10
IN PERSON
Tickets at Mrs. Dorsey's Bureau.
1300 G (Droops) NAl. 7151
K3c, $1.10, $1.63.
..mum ....
fifiWBVif •»» *"7‘
iWICi
TTtTTTIMIJA RVC.«:M 1
I NOW I SUNDAY
I BEEF TRUST | “NADJA”
FRIDAY
THEY RE SO PERFECTLY
SENSATIONAL TOGETHER...
it’s the year’s romantic
comedy -foitMiiffA/ &
WILLIAM POWELL
ill bis debonair best!
AN NAB E LLA
in her'first
American-made picture!
•4 ’% Baroness
\ .JiEBUTLER'
LAST FREDRIC MARCH
DAY *Ih "THE HJCCANttir
AMUSEMENTS.
AMUSEMENTS.
Starts TOMORROW
t\\e Knockout
On Screen
If* • riot when this treat
'em ■ rough • and • how • they
like it romeo teaches his
battling bride to.
7mnom
mum
A Warner Bros.
Comedy Hit with
WAYNE MORRIS
The Smiling Screen "Find"
Of "Kid Galahad"
4 "Submarine D 1"
PRISCILLA LANE
Singing Comedienne Of
^^^^Varsity Show"
- V'
Their Eyes Met... And
Everything Went Black!
★
1938's Biggest Hit on the
Screen for the 1st Time
“BEI MIR BIST DU SCHON"
To 1 p.m.-25c
1 p.m. to 5:30-35c
Ev*.-40c-66c
I *A
frnus / a.p.d±'
I m. >/ jjg
“®*ssr
Wo totes Barred!
Thr ilus/5a/ Batt,e
Uf ’he Century!
LAST DAY—"BIG BROADCAST OF 1938"—STAGE—BILLY GILBERT
2nd WEEK
DOWNTOWN
cTd7n&Vuno
iumk*
TlCMKftN
*>()'««< %m C«ww*t>« ftctw *"i
ceomc BRENT-9UVU OeHAVUlMUl
tuotE RJUNS * kuukt UNDSAY
Metropolitan
UBTMT « MENU MORRIS t EUANOR HOLM m "HHZAtTl KYENK"
GLADYS SAYS: THE JOHNS HAVE III' J\
HAVE WHAT? „ . ^a.
iwWF j
&ssfM
1 ,C,,,H ."“T|W9 ‘ ■ ■ -
^mk
SONGS.
Ir***4 .
•flteM#*
STAGE Ameriea*s Streamlined Jester IS BACK! um
REP SKELTON "
-^that dynamic personautyi with •*+*-fcwwwifitiy- /fwirc.
ROBERT FBIIENP GYPSY CHORUS ^SSi
SID MARIOH lift MMELWKILEEN **.„***<>—,
■■m.1. MARION DANIELS D~c.JEANETTE IACKETT
NriyATf If « I f 1 | C Tit It LOVELIES
KMRRV UV * * " J ■ ■ # I 1H *25c tc 1:00—35c to 5:30
¥ _ 1 MNights 40c Gr 66c
|jfo&|| Virginia BRUCE 4 VMrjn DOUGLAS la “ABSENE LUPIN BETuStF"!
Om Stage IH/UOB BOWKS SECOND ANNIVEBSSBY BEVUE ||